There was an unmistakable tension between Cedric and Sofia, there always had been. Everyone could see it, no one dared to question it, and it remained.

The Sorcerer who wanted it all and the little girl who became a Princess overnight; together they were the quintessential struggle of light and dark. Cedric had long desired power, fame, and acceptance and Sofia's amulet was the key to his success. Unfortunately, Sofia's kindness and purity of heart were to ruin his grandiose plans for the future. Her good intentions started and his, initially, sour expressions were the start of this unbreakable bond.

As she grew up, their bond deepened under the guise of playful banter. They were both outsiders that struggled to fit in. Sofia would never be a "true Princess" and although she was surrounded by royalty she rarely felt like a royal. Cedric, on the other hand, was a noble son; he sought to bring honor to his name but was consistent at one thing – failure. They held their heads high, bore their own scars, and remained lonely.
The summer after she finished Royal Prep is when they found each other and burned down the walls they had once surrounded themselves with. Sofia was being courted, that much was true, but she didn't love him. Cedric was the one who constantly invaded her thoughts, swarming her mind during the calm and quiet evenings in the palace garden. One day she made the bold move and it changed her life. Cedric had fallen for her, heart emblazoned by her very presence. They hid their forbidden romance throughout the summer until the reality of the world caught up with them.

Sofia's Father pulled her aside one afternoon, a seemingly routine gesture that turned out to be anything but. He knew and several other members of the palace staff knew too. She was to leave that evening for a distant land to marry a man that courted her that she didn't love. She always believed she had a choice but she never imagined that her choice would be to live wholly with him or wholly without. It broke her heart.

Sofia left a note, explaining everything and begging Cedric to come retrieve her. The note never reached her intended, lost. She waited for him, living in the moments where their bodies were pressed together in the hot summer night. When he never came, she cursed the hope she held and forced herself into a life with a man she could never fully give herself to. Years passed and she never saw him, though she dreamt of him and waking often to find herself longing for his touch.

Cedric had spent his time feeling abandoned and avoided. Their lives were lived apart but always together. In the end, his resentment consumed him. He took ill and started to fade away, still holding on to the memory of her touch.

On the last day, he awoke from slumber to see her sitting by his side. Was he dreaming? She was much older than he remembered but her hand upon his was familiar. They stared at each other, speaking no words, and said nearly everything that needed to be said.

"Must it be?" She sounded hopeful once more.

His eyes watered but his expression remained stoic.

"It must."

She nodded and understood. Sofia rose and kissed his forehead softly, brushing away his grey hair. Weeping she then departed from him, and he from her, for the last time.